CTO

Are you an experienced full-stack engineer who loves to inspire and mentor others? Do you want to play a part in laying the foundation for the tech industry in Uganda? That's exactly what you'll get a chance to do as SafeBoda's CTO in thriving Kampala!
Read more about SafeBoda

CTO

chief technology officer

engineer

developer

fullstack

full-stack

Android

Java

PHP

Kampala

Uganda

Africa

East Africa

Responsibilities

Wake up. Dream about an upcoming weekend safari trip as you eat a fresh mango riding a SafeBoda on your way to work.

Lead our team of engineers in taking our customer and driver apps to the next level.

Collaborate with the Head of Product to implement an Innovation Accounting to ensure we’re learning from our development efforts and performing only the highest-value tasks.

Implement needed architecture in order to prepare SafeBoda to scale and provide rock-solid reliability for our existing service.

Take a team lunch break; today’s daily local chef-prepared meal is matooke (pounded, boiled bananas) with peanut soup.

Work in a fast-paced (and sometimes chaotic) environment with radical accountability.

Mentor your team of developers, pioneers of consumer-product engineering in Uganda.

Requirements

4+ years' experience in software development in an agile environment

B.S. in computer science or a related field

A strong grasp of object-oriented programming concepts

Significant experience working with external APIs

Confidence and experience in redesigning code bases to make them more modular and reliable

You might also have the following:

Experience in building Android applications with complex user interface designs

Compensation & Benefits

Let's discuss your salary and other conditions! We're most interested in finding the right person for the role and can be flexible about salary and equity.

Job description

We have a near-MVP mobile app, but our local tech team of six developers is in need of a
strong technical mentor. They're awesome to work with, humble, and hungry to learn.
We’re searching for a Chief Technology Officer to partner with our Head of Product to build a great consumer app, as well as a driver app and backend systems.
You’re a strong full-stack engineer with strong experience developing beautiful and intuitive mobile user interfaces and the backend to power them. You have a passion for making simple, delightful products that solve everyday problems for consumers. You love technology, but also design, business, and understanding the customer. You have confidence that you can solve any problem (technical or not) that is handed to you. Most importantly, you find meaning in developing others. You love seeing those you mentor reach their goals.
Are you ready for an international startup adventure? Eager to dedicate significant time to helping it succeed? If you have the hustle needed to make things happen in a challenging context, send your application our way, and join our social-focused, for-profit company in laying the foundations of the tech industry in Uganda! We’d like the right candidate to start as soon as possible. If you're interested, we’d love to chat with you to answer your questions and discuss any concerns.

The company

About SafeBoda

Team: 11-25 employees

Type: Consumer Services

Motorcycle taxis are immensely popular and serve as the lifeblood of many cities in Africa, but they are extremely unsafe and disorganized. SafeBoda is a pre-series A Ugandan-based startup on a mission to make motorcycle taxis (bodas) more safe, affordable, and convenient across Sub-Saharan Africa—while providing a more meaningful and lucrative career for drivers. And we think we have a shot at building a very valuable tech company in the process: we plan to hit a $100 million valuation in 3 years. Backed by the Shell Foundation, Development Innovation Ventures USAID, the Global Innovation Fund, and an angel tech investor, SafeBoda is well off to the races: we have nailed the driver-side model with 1000+ drivers, growing at 8% week-on-week over the last 6 months, and we are looking to better monetize our ~20,000 daily trips in Kampala. Why Kampala, Uganda? The market is ready. With a current population of 3 million, Kampala is growing rapidly, with a strong middle class and the youngest population on earth. The city is known for its rapidly developing infrastructure and spirit of entrepreneurship—Kampala is in the top 3 in Mobile Money use on the continent. East Africa is a high-growth tech hub. Other prominent tech companies are making waves here already (Rocket Internet/Jumia is making a big play, and Kampala is one of Uber’s 4 African markets).
Often termed “Africa for beginners” due to easy access to modern conveniences and the
friendliness of the people, Kampala is a great place to live, too. Crime levels and the threat of political instability or terrorism are low. The food scene is excellent, with restaurants serving amazing food from all around the world. A strong European/North American expat community, incredible weather all year round, and great access to many incredible vacation spots make Kampala an excellent destination for anyone looking for new experiences and adventures.